Breakfast
by TearsofaFangirl
Summary: 30 Fic Challenge 2. AU. With Thor out of town on business, Balder offers to take care of his son for the next two months. A notorious playboy, Balder is known for sleeping with anyone who takes interest in him. With the addition of Loki in his life, he is determined to change. Though it turns out harder than planned when one of the teachers at Loki's playgroup catches his eye.


**AN: So rather than a 30 day challenge this is going to be a 30 fic challenge, as some of the plots planned are going to be very long and I think a lot of them have the potential to be multi-chapter fics rather than one shots. Also because I'm lazy and last time I tried a 30 Day challenge with Hetalia I only managed to get to day 5.**

**The aim is to do 30 new fics in 3 months. This doesn't mean 30 complete fics, it's just either writing a one shot or the first chapter. Some are going to be very long and some very short it just depends entirely on the prompt. Some will also be named after their prompts while others will have more relevant titles.**

**So here is the second one - It'll be a multi-chapter fic with each chapter switching between various POVS, written in the third person. This is an AU, so their characters might differ here and there, but I'll try and keep them as true to the anime as possible.**

**The prompt is "Breakfast". I'll probably change the fic name to something more inspiring if an idea comes to me.**

**I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

It was nearing four in the afternoon as Apollon begun the task of sweeping the leaves that had fallen around the playground during the day. At first he was set on making a neat pile, but when he realised that the chances of the children making game out of scattering the leaves were high, he focused more on making the pile safe than neat.

Apollon loved the autumn. Not as much as he adored the summer or the spring, but the deep reds and oranges that leaked into the trees around the playgroup had a certain beauty to them that outdid the greens of spring and summer.

The light of day was slowly beginning to fade, but the sun wouldn't vanish completely for at least another two hours, so he still had time to sweep. Luckily, the remaining children seemed to be immersed in a game Dionysus had set up and hadn't noticed the potential fun Apollon was cooking up for them.

The playgroup itself was split into 3 sections, with eight rooms overall. Dionysus and the remaining children played in the biggest room on the far right of the building. Apollon was proud to say that the room was veritable treasure trove of fun, with everything a 2-5-year-old could could possibly want in one place. Each time one of the children had complained they were bored, he would unveil a new toy or game from the hidden cabinets (fondly called the "Treasure Chests") and soon their boredom was quickly forgotten.

In that section of the building also sat the Nap Room, with enough blankets and pillows to accommodate 20 children, and with a special rug that spread across the entire floor that was so soft and comfortable that many of the children would pretend to be tired just so they could lay in the room and count the glow in the dark stars on the dark blue ceiling.

To the left of the building sat the office, the kitchen and the common room where the teachers would work and socialise. The children were strictly instructed that should they enter the left door, an evil monster would gobble them up. This method had worked well for years, up until Loki had begun attending the playgroup. At the age of four he had taken it upon himself to rally the older children to defeat the monster. The door had been locked at the time, but Apollon dreaded to think what might have happened if the children had gotten into the snack cupboard.

The main entrance was where the kids also liked to play, as many of them would wait there for their parents to come and collect them, continuously throwing glances through the wide glass doors and windows to the parking lot beyond the walled playground. Apollon had constructed a special step so that they could sit down to put on their shoes (kept in one of the assigned lockers that lined the walls of the entranceway).

He loved his job, loved the playgroup and loved the kids, but there were a certain few that he considered...special. It wasn't that they misbehaved or he couldn't deal with them, it was just that they tended to be more hyper than the others, more creative and more daring when it came to playing tricks. Though there was only one child he could think of that fit all these.

Loki Laevatein.

Apollon had lost count of the number of times he had to scold him or gently remind him that he wouldn't be allowed to join the others for snack time if he misbehaved. He'd even caught Loki trying to break into the Treasure Chests just to see what was inside.

He was a natural leader and had a habit of getting himself and the other children worked up because he thought it was funny to watch the teachers fret as they spent the next hour calming them down. Loki had a talent for getting into trouble and even at the age of four Apollon could tell he would grow into a clever man.

Though 'clever' might not be the right word, as Loki could be quite dense at times. At least once a month a loud thud would sound through the building, followed by wailing as Loki ran at full speed into the glass door.

But apart from the tricks and over-exhaustion, he was a good boy, and it was a shame his father never had the time for him.

He wasn't sure what Thor did, but due to the fact that he had never picked his son up before six in the evening (and after seven his housekeeper would usually arrive to collect him), he was sure Thor either worked in business, law or politics. But even though he appeared to be a stern and stoic man, it was clear he loved his son.

On the evenings when he collected Loki, his car would skid into the parking lot, Thor jumping out and running into the playground, his eyes hurriedly searching for Loki. As soon as he laid eyes on his son he would visibly relax, his mouth curving into a slight smile as he would nod to one of the teachers before going over to his son and asking him about his day.

But he would never hug Loki, never praise him. Apart from the occasional pat on the head, Apollon had never once seen him fondly embrace his son either. He wasn't sure if Thor was the type who never treated his son like a child, or if he was just embarrassed about showing affection in public, but he didn't approve of the lack of love Loki received. Though it wasn't his place to comment and so he kept his mouth shut, even when Dionysus brought it up in the common room.

After the sweeping was done, he made his way back into the building, detouring to the right to tell Dionysus he was taking a break before entering through the left door and making a beeline for the kitchen. He had been working since six that morning and was beginning to feel the usual exhaustion that plagued him. He had taken a three hour nap at eleven when some of the children wanted to sleep as well, and so wasn't mentally tired, but his body was beginning to feel the effects of being on his feet for over eight hours and he needed a energy boost.

After filling kettle switching it on, he fiddled with his dark blue apron, untying and retying the the cord around his back as he waiting for the water to boil.

He wasn't a huge fan of coffee, but the playgroup wouldn't close until seven at the latest, and he couldn't see himself lasting the next three hours on pure will alone.

When he returned he was surprised to find a not-so-unfamiliar sound echoing out from the main room. Loki laughing.

There wouldn't be anything strange about this had it been the middle of the day, as Loki would laugh at anything and everything, but as the evening drew in and he knew he would have to spend another evening watching the other children being picked up by his parents, he tended to grow quiet. There were many parents who thought him sweet and would talk to both him and their own child about their day, but it was clear to see that Loki wanted his father to be the one asking him those questions, not someone elses.

Curious to see what was making Loki so happy he moved through the entranceway to the right door, and poking his head through to see what was going on.

Lying on the play mats sat a man he'd never seen before. At least, he thought it was a man. From the back all he could see was the long white blond hair that stretched down his back and his legs, which were curved to create a sort of seat for Loki to lean against. The young boy was happily showing the man a drawing he had made earlier, chatting away as the man nodded and encouraged him on.

Apollon was torn between watching them and interrupting, asking him who he was and what he was doing in the building. Though they didn't have the strongest security measures, they were still very aware how dangerous it was if any member of the public could just wander in freely. But Loki wouldn't be so open if he didn't know the man, and he could see that Hades was playing with the children and so must have deemed him safe.

As Apollon moved towards them, Loki had finished explaining his picture and the man had risen, picking Loki up in his arms and spinning him around as the boy giggled loudly. "I'm so proud of you!" The man grinned, pulling Loki into a hug and laughing as he spun again.

Apollon stood awkwardly to the left of them, waiting to until they had finished. He wasn't exactly following the safety guidelines, which demanded that all adults entering the building had to be approved by a member of staff, but he had hoped Hades had already done so.

"Hi, sorry." The man stopped as he caught sight of Apollon, holding Loki on his hip as extended his free hand. "I'm Loki's uncle, Balder."

Apollon grinned as he took his hand. "Apollon, I'm one of the teachers here." He kept smiling, suddenly feeling like an idiot for saying so. His apron clearly stated that he was one of the supervisors. "Can I ask why you're the one collecting Loki today?"

Balder blinked in surprise. "Oh, I thought one of the others would have told you. Thor's out of town on business for the next two months I'm in charge of this little monster here." He laughed as he gave Loki a soft squeeze, nuzzling his hair with his nose as the boy giggled.

He made a mental note to ask the other teachers about it later, though he suspected someone had written it on the board in the common room that he forgot to check on a daily basis.

He smiled fondly at the pair, glad that Loki was looking happy for once. Apollon could see the other children staring at Badler with wide eyes, and it was understandable. Beautiful was the only way to describe him, with his piercing blue eyes and soft features that made him look like one of the princes from the many books the children read.

Loki wrapped his hands around Balder's chest, glaring determinately at Apollon. "Balder's mine." he said, almost fiercely. Apollon would have been more surprised if this kind of possessiveness wasn't normal in children, but even so it was strange to see Loki being so intense about something. Usually when he claimed he owned something it was to rile up the other children into a fight.

But the man was so kind and gentle with Loki, was showing him so much love and pride that Apollon understood why he was so possessive when it came to Balder. Because who wouldn't want to be showered with that kind of affection, especially when their father had a hard time showing it.

Balder simply laughed it off, patting Loki on the head and grinning at Apollon. "It's hard dealing with people when you're this attractive, but Loki is an exception."

That threw Apollon off. He didn't know how to respond to such a brazen comment, especially when it was said so cheerily and came from someone who looked so gentle. But before he could respond, Balder continued.

"You've got a…" He trailed off, tapping his lip with an amused smile.

Embarrassed, Apollon's hand quickly raised to his own lip, wiping away whatever Loki's uncle had spotted.

"No." Balder chuckled. "The other side." He felt the tips of his ears redden as he wiped the other side of his mouth with the back of his fingers, surprised that he was suddenly so nervous. He was used to being messy and to laughing it off whenever a parent or carer pointed it out, but the feeling of self-consciousness that swept through him at Balder's amused smile was surprising to say the least, and he couldn't help but smile sheepishly as he dropped his hand.

"Did I get it?"

Balder cocked his head, biting his lip as he hummed in reply, shaking his head and holding back his laugh. "Here." He lifted his free hand, softly cupping Apollon's chin as he held his eyes. Apollon froze as he felt Balder's thumb lightly run across his bottom lip, the gentle slowness of his movements sending heat flooding through his body as his heart froze, the nerves that had been plaguing him exploding as he drew in a sharp breath.

The other man's eyes seemed to sparkle with laughter as he drew back his thumb and raised it to his mouth, licking away whatever he had stolen from Apollon's lips.

"Well...I'll see you tomorrow." He threw Apollon a wink as he set Loki on the floor, taking his hand, walking off through the doors and leaving Apollon to contemplate why his heart was pounding in his ears as his body tingled with excitement.

* * *

**AN: As I was coming up with the plot for this I ended up pausing to think 'Is this too gay?' because it's probably going to get a lot more mushy and emotional from here on out. I'm sorry the first chapter was so slow, I just want to set the scene before getting into the emotional stuff because most of this is going to happen in the playgroup.**

**The rating will go up, but for now I'll just leave it at T because it'll be a while before the smut comes. ;)**

**As I say with everything I write, I'll probably come back and edit this at some point xD**

**Also, there is now a poll on my profile related to the 30 Fic Challenge. It would be great if you could check it out ^^**


End file.
